Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus) (1) - Reported Dec 08, 2015 06:45 by kent miller - Springfield Lake, Summit, Ohio - Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=41.0230675,-81.4393539&ll=41.0230675,-81.4393539 - Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S26185054 - Media: 2 Photos - Comments: "First bird has been relocated since Sunday morning. I believe others got truly diagnostic photos." Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus) (1)
- Reported Dec 06, 2015 07:10 by Leslie Sours - Springfield Lake, Summit, Ohio - Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=41.0230675,-81.4393539&ll=41.0230675,-81.4393539 - Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S26169644 - Comments: "Continuing bird, first discovered on December 4 by Ben Morrison. When we arrived, it was roosting out on the lake in a massive flock of about 2,000+ gulls. Medium-sized gull, about the same size as the many nearby Herring Gulls, but just a little bit smaller. Large and very yellow bill with a bulbous tip around the red gonydeal spot was quite apparent in the photos obtained by Ben, and was even noticeable when looking through the scope. The gape extended a fair ways back onto the face, almost reaching to just below the front of the light eye. The mantle appeared to be the same shade of black as the primaries, and there was a nearby adult Lesser Black-backed Gull to allow for great comparison. The head/nape had no visible streaking, as opposed to the heavy streaking shown by the nearby LBBG. The legs, though not visible to us while it was on the water, are yellow-green in the photos that Ben took. We got great looks at the wings as the bird preened and flapped while on the water, and I have posted a LQ digiscoped shot of it. There was only one mirror present on the primaries, and it was on P10, located an inch or two from the tip of it. The tips of the primaries had small white tips to them, and the rest of the wing was black with a white trailing edge. The primaries were dark underneath, with a dark wedge formed by the primaries decreasing in size as you get closer to the body. GBBG, LBBG, SBGU, and hybrids were all ruled out based on combination of field marks. If accepted by the OBRC, this would be the first record ever here in Ohio. <a href=" https://www.flickr.com/photos/122506166@N08/23218741679/in/dateposted-public/"; title="Kelp Gull (eBird documentation)"><img src=" https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5749/23218741679_df0d777765_z.jpg"; alt="Kelp Gull (eBird documentation)" /></a>" Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus) (1) - Reported Dec 06, 2015 07:00 by Vera Hurst - Springfield Lake, Summit, Ohio - Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=41.0230675,-81.4393539&ll=41.0230675,-81.4393539 - Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S26171467 - Comments: "Dark back, complete white undersides with black edge to wing when seen flying, 1 white 'window' at end of each wing. Distinctly large bill which appeared more yellow than orange-ish compared to Ring-billed. Was compared to the Lesser Black-backed Gull which was present also. (lighter gray, no white window) Was a larger gull than RBG. I saw it flying & sitting in water. The completely white underside and head with leading black wing edge as pictured in Jon Cefus' photos was dramatically striking. See description of bird given by others." Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus) (1) - Reported Dec 06, 2015 06:31 by kent miller - Springfield Lake, Summit, Ohio - Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=41.0230675,-81.4393539&ll=41.0230675,-81.4393539 - Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S26175892 - Media: 5 Photos - Comments: "Flight photos. Extremely black mantle, as dark as primaries. Similar size as HEGU. Large bill. Unable to see legs. Clean head. Single small white spot underwing in dark primaries." Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus) (1) - Reported Dec 05, 2015 16:40 by kent miller - Springfield Lake, Summit, Ohio - Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=41.0230675,-81.4393539&ll=41.0230675,-81.4393539 - Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S26175886 - Media: 4 Photos - Comments: "As submitted to OBRC: At rest: Herring Gull-sized, adult-like Gull with very black mantle, clean white undersides, very clean white head with only tiny amount of dark flecks in front of the eye. Iris yellow, could not make out orbital ring. Strikingly thick, heavy yellow bill with large gony angle and diffuse, large, red gonys spot in and in front of angle. Elongated yellow gape protruded far back into the face. Usually very relaxed so that the head appeared blocky and flat-topped with a gently slopped forehead. On the rare occasions it became alert it's neck appeared much longer, head more round and fairly small looking compared to the deep, heavy chest. Strikingly long-legged with longer tarsi than Herring next to it with much more tibia exposed below belly. Legs a dull yellow/green/gray appearing pretty yellow in the low, warm sunlight. Mantle startlingly shiny black. Blacker than any I'd ever seen. Virtually the same color as the black primaries. Strikingly short primary projection showing 4 relatively small white primary tips with the last two being very close together. Wide white tertials connecting to an obvious white skirt. All white tail. When it stretched it's wings it showed a broad white trailing edge to secondaries, small white primary tips and a single small window on p10. The very dark mantle appeared to blend right into the black primaries when the wing was extended. Very similar to Herring height and length but even though it seemed chesty it seemed slightly less deep (back to belly) and a bit thinner when both turned sideways. Overall probably a slightly lighter weight bird. Shorter winged, heavier billed, and longer legged than Herring. Tail also appeared a smidge shorter. In addition to previous comments p10 did not appear to be full length yet. 3 or 4 times had a brief pecking spat with the Herrings on the peak of the roof beside it. Once stayed put with maybe a half dozen other gulls when all the couple hundred other gulls got spooked off for some reason. At 1st impression, adult Great Black-backed Gull was the only thing that came to mind with such a black back and white head. Quickly the Herring Gull size & yellowish legs brought GBBG into great doubt. White tertials connected to skirt at rest, reduced white in primaries with small p10 mirror further wrong for GBBG. Mantle a bit too black, almost blue-black. Bill shape, though bulky, not a match either. LBBG here highly unlikely to have combination of this short of primary extension, this dark of mantle, that big of bill. These legs were not as bright yellow as a typical adult LBBG either. Hybrids ruled out primarily by extreme darkness and tone of black mantle as well as structure which fit Kelp better than any mix." Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus) (1) - Reported Dec 05, 2015 15:15 by Dennis Mersky - Springfield Lake, Summit, Ohio - Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=41.0230675,-81.4393539&ll=41.0230675,-81.4393539 - Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S26136852 - Media: 3 Photos - Comments: "seen on the roof of the bingo parlor close up. Similar in size to adjacent Herring Gulls; all white head and tail. Legs not yellow, more pinkish/greenish when compared with yellow of a Lesser Black-backed gull." _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. 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